Coin controlled locking means



May 24, 1932. G. E. NlcHoLsoN com coNTRoLLED LOCKING uEANs Original Filed Oct. 21. 1929 INVENTOR GLNtvlson,

WITNESSES v ATTORNEY Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATE-is GEORGE E. NrcnoLsomp or mensa, oxmnoma,,=nssrenonfrowmnme'naomun L roaATIoN or mamon, or Tusa-ormone oonroaarxomormmamnn COIN `CONTROLLEID .'LQGKING TMEANS original application mea october .21, 1929ser1a1 fno. mmol. @mme :annahm animation mieufrfserf tember 13, 1 1930. '.iSer11i15(o.=4Z9j53.9.

, This invention relates .to improvements in vending machines, especiall in coin controlled locking means there or, and it vcon-- sists of the constructions, combinations :and arrangements herein described .and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide coin controlled locking meanswhich has-as its outstanding feature a slug eliminator which prevents the operation of the vending machine by subterfuges,as a perforated slug, wrapped coin of a lower denomination than that which should `be inserted, etc.

Another object of the invention isto `pro-A vide a rack and pawl arrangement Arespectively associated with certain `coin and base plates for the purpose of compelling a full stroke of the coin plate torthe dispensation of goods and the prevention of successivel strokes of the coin plate with a view of `making one coin responsible for more than ;a single dispensation.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following' specification` lreference ibeing had to the accompanying, drawings, `v`in which: v

AFigure 1 is a plan View of so much 'of a vendirngy machine as illustrates the V general arrangement of the coin and base `plate and their accessories, parts being shown-in section;

Figure 2 is a section, taken on line2-2 of Figure l. showing the dime component offthe coin control in the original position;

Figure 3 is a similar View illustrating the action when a dime is inserted;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one ofthe lift fingers of the coin control;

Figure 5 is a detail side elevation of the slug eliminator for the Vdime component of the coin control: y 4

Figure 6 is a similar View ofthe slug;r eliminator for the five-cent component of said control.

This application is a division of Kan ,application for patent for vendinglr machine, known as Case No. 3. filed `by l(lreorge E. icholson. October 2l. 1929. Serial No. 401.207. That application `embodies struc turc of which the instant locking `n'ieans is a part. So much of the vending `machine structure as is `-necessaryztom'u1niierstsmding of 'the subject y.of 'this :application iS ihriely .descrifbedas .iol-lows:

. A libase il of `"liolilmv,ac onstnuetion contains `the exposedrend fis :fitted Awith yaabutton "7.

ted tothe `foregoing ise'lector plate bracket Ipreparatory `zto .the d-ispensationrof ,an antvrckle. The arm ll iis .clamped z-,to the 4plunger@L6 by means ,of the @nuts #15 -atliatare screwed `on .the threaded part 14 .of vthe :.plunger.

Coin receivers :25. 26, comprising Iforward Aextensions of :the `coin :plate i8, are intended to have the coins 'inserted '.therein. "The icoin 'plate :8 is slidable .on the top of iabase@pleite 1119 `which v'is fixed upon athelbase Thetforward iportion of "the ibase. plate ,prcvjeets;Y

througfl-i ;a vslot X120 (Figures ,f2 @and 33 in :a iront cover 1plate .121 1:provid-ing ia. {shell-ff M2 yupon which the :receivers :25,926` appear :,(Figure il.) `when the Aplunger .6 is. inithe "foremost position.

- l ao 'These recewers fhaveliolesil, 1124 respeta a :tively V'for the reception of fa dime and cent ',piece.l .The `purchaser :must `insert .these -co'ins sin :the holes @and v:then push @in onithe button` l 2in making .the purchase. Guides 127 fslidably receive the lateral edges `of Ithe `coin plate 8. These guides' -are'.-secured Vato the 'base plate 119. l

The `coin :control occurs :atwthis point. iIt comprises :a simplified lconstruction for causingoperation otsthezm'acliivne inf-.hen `the ,proper combination fof ycoins is inserted in :the hdles 123. alflfan'd lfor selecting-between goodicoins and slugs. "The latter are yusuali-57 :perforated lwith sa avent-.ral `=hole `of Aa suitable size :for itlie 51,00

purpose of preventing persons passing them as coins. and it is slugs of this type that will not operate the machine even though they be identical both in diameter or thickness with either a dime or five-cent piece.

The coinplatejillt) has-a passage1-28 opening at the rear or inner edge. Onet side of the passage isserrated at 129 to provide araek with whichai pawl 130visengageable to prevent 'a Af''prenrati;re retraction of-` thev plunger 6 as well'zasasecond inward movement of the plunger without inserting other` coins in Y vvawl jltls-itands at the open end of sag 123..- -Itrispivoted at 131 to the ilfat 1119. ITA-light spring 132 is connected with' thep'awl at one side ol the pivot and vwith 'a Suitable stud either on thi-'base plate-orsome other fixed part in order to keepthepawlirrtheposition in Figure 1;.

yThere. is a permissible but limited initial movement of the plunger 6 and coin plate 8. The extent ot this permissible movement is 130, wit-litho first or innermost tooth of the rack 129. .lt is only when-,the proper coins are inserted 'in the holes .123, 124 that `certain locking Ihooks 133. 134; forming part of the foregoing vendingmachine, will be raised to enable a sufficient inward movement of the coin plate 8 to bring the rack -129 into registration with the pawl 130.

Spacci' sleeves 140 notlonly keep the locking hooks 134 in the proper position. bnt serve the same Apurpose for a pair of lift finger-S141. 142. The' lift fingers have inwardly directed tongues 143. 144 with which screws 145 of the hooks 133, 134 engage ,so that the lifting of the fingers 141, 142 will lift the hooks 133, 134..

A guideplate 147 (Figure 1) has slots 150 (Figures 2 and 3) in which `the ends of the fingers A141. y142 work. Slots 151 in the slid.- able coin plate 8vcoincide with similar slots 152 in each ot a pair of spring plates 153, 154. These lspring plates are secured at 155 to the coverplate 121 and are disposed im- \mediately above the coin plate 8. In other words, the spring plates 153, 154 are spaced from the base plate 119 (Figure 3) and the coin plate 8 slides between thetwo.

The inner ends of the spring plates 153, 154 varel reduced 'to tongues 156 (Figure 2) which are'bent downwardly and rearwardly and are suflieiently narrow to occupy the slots 151 thus to engage the under sides of corresponding tongues 157 bent forwardly and upwardly from the base plate 119 and also insuilicient.t'ofpermit engagement ot the pawl Y suiciently narrow to occupy the slots 151 of the movable coin plate 8.

It is the purpose of the combined tongues 156, 157 "to insure the ejection of a coin stuck in the coin holes 123, 124 intentionally or otherwise. Should a coinbe wedged 1n a -hole it will ultimately ride upon the downwardly projecting tongue 156 (dotted lines Figure 3) and thus be pried loose so that it will fall into'a money drawer 106.

' Openings 158, 159 (Figure 2) provide in the base plate 119 places Where either full-` .16.0 in which slug eliminators 161 and 162 hang and swing. These eliminators resemble hell cranks (Figures 5 and 6). They are pivoted at 161a to the respective lift lingers V141 and 142.

Normally the slug eliminators hang down perfectly free (Figure 2), but upon presentation of good coins thereto (Figure 3) the heels 163 will ride upon the coins causingr the lifting of the lift fingers 141, 142 and the consequent raising of the hooks 133, 134. ln order to impart resiliency to the lift 1ingers so that they may yield to a limited degree. especially when new money of original thickness is inserted in -the machine and passes under the slug eliminators, these lift fingers are given double twists to produce horizontally flat places 164.

'.lhere isa slight difference in construction between the 'dime slug eliminator 161 (Figure 5) and the five-cent slug eliminator 162 (Figure 6). In the latter the heel 163 is offset from the pendent end 165 somewhat more than is the heel 163 of the eliminator-161. The space 166 is therefore somewhat greater in one eliminator than the other.

The foregoing difference is made necessary b v the inherentlyy different thickness of dimes and five-cent pieces. The slightly greater spacing of the heel of the eliminator 162 adapts it to a five-cent piece when the latter is in a :contacting position whereas if the eliminator 161 were used in lieu thereof there would be an undesirable wedging of the coin and excessive flexure of the lift finger 142.

The operation isreadly understood. The operation of the vendin machine'is predicated on the insertion o a dime and a fivecent piece in the holes 123, 124 of the receivers 25, 26. The button 7 is pushed upon'to start `the vending operation.

An inward push ofan extent sufficient to displace the pawl 130 (Figure 1) and cause yit to engage with the first teeth of the rack 129 will 'also bring the coins under the slug eliminators 161, 162 (Figure 3). The lift fingers 141. 142 are thus raised, with a consequent raising of the hooks 133, 134 as previously brought out. When the latter are raised the operator is enabled to push the button 7, consequently the coin plate 8 all the Way toward the completion of the vending operation.

Sometime during the inward push of the button 7 the coins will drop out into the coin drawer 106 by virtue of meeting the tongues 156 (Figure Should the purchaser in- 10 sert a slug with a central hole the rim of the slug would ride under the heel 163 and cause the heel to enter the hole. The result would be a mere partial turning of the slug eliminator and not that raising of the respective l5 lift finger essential to the raising of its locking hook.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved coin controlled locking device is that of a generally preferred form obvious modifications and changes may be made without departing from the `spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a vending machine, a movable lift finger, guide means for the lift finger, a slug eliminator carried by the lift finger, a coin receiver to introduce a coin beneath said eliminator to move the lift finger, and ilex` ible means incorporated in the finger enabling yielding when limited in movement by the guide means.

2. In a vending machine, a coin control including av slug eliminator, guide means, a lift finger carrying said eliminator, and a coin receiver to introduce a coin beneath said eliminator, said finger then being guided by the guide means when lifted by said coin, said lift finger having a flattened portion im parting flexibility.

3. In a vending machine, a slotted coin plate, a slotted base plate on one side of the con plate, a spring plate on the other side of the coin plate, and tongues on the respective base and spring plate to-be oppositely directedthrough the slot of the coin plate to assume confronting positions.

4. In a vending machine, a base plate hav-I ing a pair of coin openings with a connecting slot, locking means, actuating means for the locking means, a coin plate movable over the base plate, and a slug eliminator suspended from the actuating means in the slot and in the path of a coin carried by the coin plate.

5. In a vending machine, a base plate'hav ing a pair of coin openings with a connecting slot, a coin plate movable over the base plate, locking means for the coin plate, actuating means for the locking means, and a slug eliminator pivotally carried by the actuating means, said slug eliminator comprising a pendent end normally occupying the slot adjacent to one of the coin openings, and a heel offset from the pendent end being normally clear of both the slot and said adjacent 65 opening.

6. In a vending machine, the combination of a slotted base plate, a slotted plate spaced therefrom, a coin plate, movable in the space between said plates also having a slot and a coin hole, all of the said slots being in regis- GEORGE E. NICHOLSON. 

